Through the Grapevine
by Artemis Fairy
Summary: Watch out for those rumors. Tatari fluff, hints of TsuSoka


Disclaimer! I DO NOT own Yami no Matsuei! :.( If I did, I'd be in Maui sippin' a Margarita. Enjoy!

According to the rumor-mill, Seiichiro Tatsumi and Yutaka Watari were lovers. Of course no one dared ask the two secretive shinigami. Well..no one except a certain amethyst-eyed fellow death god.

While having one of his usual casual talks with his blonde friend, he ever so subtlely broached the subject.

"So, Watari. What is this I hear about you and Tatsumi being lovers, eh?"

The blonde scientist almost knocked over a Bunsen burner. "I beg your pardon?"

"So what is it? Do you guys screw or what?" the chocolate haired man asked.

"Or what. Seiichiro Tatsumi is too stuffy for my tastes. He's so obnoxious with his high and mighty attitude." He waved a hand in dismissal. "Besides, he always yells at me when I accidentally blow up my lab." He complained with his bottom lip protruding. His friend had to laugh at that.

"I hear ya. He yells at me 24/7. If he had my home number he'd probably call me just to yell at me some more." Tsuzuki snickered.

"And another thing. He's too cold-hearted for someone of my pleasant nature to be in love with. He'd freeze me out of his life." the scientist stated. He reached for a beaker filled with blue liquid while simultaneously grabbing a yellow filled container.

"And _another _thing! He's so penny pinching! If I asked him for a raise he'd probably engulf me in shadows! Or worse! Give me to Yuma and Saya for an afternoon!" The long haired shinigami unconsciously mixed the two concoctions, creating a regal purple color, almost the same hue as Tsuzuki's eyes. A second later, his brain caught up with his hands and he stared at the offensive vial with wide horror-stricken eyes.

"Thats a pretty color." Tsuzuki said pointing at the glass. When the liquid began to bubble, Tsuzuki looked warily at his silent companion. "..Is it supposed to do that?"

"No. And its supposed to be green. GET DOWN!"

An explosion rocked the vaste laboratory. Debris was everywhere. Beakers were broken, chairs splintered off over various parts of the lab, and papers were scattered all across the tiles. A cloud of purple mist hung in the air. Tsuzuki reached out (from behind the over-turned desk he and Watari were using as a shield) to touch it. Watari coughed beside him. "Tsuzuki don't touch that! It might be lethal!"

The other shinigami shrugged. "Its still pretty." The genius just shook his head.

"We better get this mess cleaned up before Tatsumi gets here." Watari noted while standing and dusting himself off. He reached a hand out to help his friend stand.

"Too late." A deep voice rang out. Watari froze, hand mid-rise. He slowly turned to face the secretary. "Well, Watari? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Tatsumi! How are you this fine morn? Nice day for a visit, ne?" the mad scientist asked. He nervously twittled his fingers.

"Don't act dumb Watari. It doesn't suit you. You could've heard that damn explosion in America. And Tsuzuki's here, too! It must be my lucky day." A angry glint passed over his blue eyes.

A nervous chuckle escaped Tsuzuki's mouth. "Hey Tatsumi. How ya doin'?" He tenatively grabbed the back of his head.

"I was better before this happened." the shadow master said while demonstrating his trademark sign of annoyance- a pinch to the bridge of his nose. A light massage later, he addressed the now shaking blonde. "What happen here?"

"Um, well," Watari stuttered,"See, what had happened was-"

"Ah! Never mind." the serious man silenced the younger one. "Just report it to me later. When you get your story straight." With that, the highly stressed shinigami stalked out of the room. "_I swear if its not Tsuzuki or Terazuma, its Watari. Why me?"_ the man thought.

"Well, that went well." Tsuzuki muttered after a couple seconds of silence. Watari just glared at his friend. _"Where's Bon when you need him?" _the man complained.

Just then a loud slam of the door alerted the two men that another had joined the fiasco. Bon, er, Hisoka. Watari could've danced a jig at the sight. The young man stalked into the room, hands poised on his hips. "_There _you are Tsuzuki. I've been looking everywhere! I guess I should've known you'd be here. Anything to get out of paperwork!" the boy scolded. It seems he was oblivious to the mess around him. Oblivious or just really apathetic. Probably the latter.

He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You could kiss me." Tsuzuki said, recieving a well deserved smack across the back of his head by his young lover. "Ow 'Soka-chan! That hurt. Besides I couldn't help it. You look so cute when you're mad." he said sending one of his patented goofy smiles towards the teen. A cute blush reddened the boy's cheeks.

"No matter. Come on, baka! Before Tatsumi docks your pay again." he scolded while grabbing the purple eyed pest by the ear and dragging him down the hall to their cubicle. A few seconds of silence filled the lab, before Watari realized the downside of having Tsuzuki gone. _"Damn. Now I have to clean up this place by myself. Unless.." _he thought as he searched throughout the rubble to find 003's cage. Finally locating it, he gazed down at his beloved owl. She looked postively stricken. Her eyes were wide with fear and body rigid. Watari tenatively opened the cage and gently extracted the small bird. He expertly examined the animal. She was alright, just scared. Sighing, he set up an over-turned table and made a makeshift nest for her. "Rest darlin'." he said placing a small kiss on her head. A tiny hoot was the only reply he received.

Watari turned the tables back over on their bases and surveyed the destruction. Still a long ways to go. Admitting defeat, he slunk over to the small intercom the Department had installed the week before. A way to spy on each other, Watari figured.

He glanced at all the connections and pressed the correct button for the person he had in mind.

"Yes?" A deep voice answered.

"Are you busy?" Watari asked.

"Yes, actually but I guess I can spare some time. What do you need?"

"Some help."

"In more ways than one."

"Haha, so very funny. Burn in Hell. So, are you coming or not?"

"Now why would I come and help a person who just told me to spend my afterlife burning in a dark abyss?"

"Because you love me." the blonde shinigami stated matter-of-factly.

A momentary silence ensued.

"Be happy that I do." Watari could hear the smile in his voice. "I'll be there in a moment."

"Alrighty."

Watari went back to trying to tidy his disheveled work space. A minute later, a small knock was heard on his door. Watari rolled his honey eyes. "_Now if I called you to come help me, why would you knock?" _"Come in." he called. His back was to the door as he heard footsteps enter his domain. His visitor greeted him with an embrace. Tight and caring. Watari relaxed into those strong arms. "Are you alright?" the deep voice asked. Turning around to face him, Watari answered his question with one of his own.

"Do I look alright?"

Seiichiro Tatsumi stood there with a half smirk plastered to his handsome face. "Actually you look perfectly _fine."_ The secretary slurred the last word so that the scientist couldn't misconstrue his meaning.

"Why Tatsumi-san, are you trying to seduce me?" Watari asked, feigning innocence by placing a hand backwards on his forehead. His grin was unmistakeable.

"Yes. Is it working?" the supposedly serious man questioned. A mischevious glint rose into his eyes. He placed a hand on the back of the scientist's neck and began to massage.

"Like a charm. And at work, too! I must have died again." Watari stated, fanning himself dramatically. His grin never faltered.

"Apparently. You're in Hell with me, remember?" the shadow master reminded him. He fingered the texture of his lover's golden hair. Then he tugged the ribbon holding it in place aloose. Watari's golden tresses spilled into Tatsumi's hands. A small smile fought its way onto the stoic man's face. He always did have a soft spot for this man's hair. He looked at his lover and gasped. The way his hair fell around his face, it made Watari look positively gorgeous. Beautiful was the only word that came into the man's mind. It stayed and made itself at home like an unwelcome in-law. At last he couldn't take it any more. He leaned in to press a feather light kiss on the blonde's awaiting mouth.

"Now Seiichiro," Watari chided," you know that you can't kiss me like that and expect me to not want another, and another. ..And another." A large smile graced his lips.

"Hmm, Good point. Luckily, I think I can accomodate you there." the brunette said while slowly sinking to the height of his love. There wasn't space between the two to put a sheet of paper. The normally rule-oriented shinigami kissed his partner with enough love and passion that they both were breathing quite raggedly after about half a minute. "Where did this come from? Not that I'm complaining.." the blond man asked his companion after his breathing return to normal.

"I was concerned about you. I couldn't do this when Tsuzuki was here.."

"You could've. Although that would've confirmed the rumors floating around this place." Watari said absently.

"Come again? What rumors?"

"Oh yeah. I forgot you don't know. Tsuzuki asked me if you and I were lovers. Thats kinda what sparked the explosion. Hehe." the scientist explained looking down, nervous again.

"I see." Tatsumi said slowly. "And what did you say?"

"No of course. We're keeping this secret, right?"

"Of course. Its no one's business but our own."

"Agreed. Now. Where were we?" Watari whispered seductively, somehow winding himself around Tatsumi's body.

"Didn't I come here to help you with something?" Tatsumi asked, silently slipping back into secretary mode.

"You _are_ helping me. Now, finish what you started." A smirk gracing his now swollen lips.

"Gladly." And the lab was put off for later.


End file.
